Chef

NEW OPENING

Top 50 Gastropubs chef lends expertise to London wine bar

14-Oct-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Stephen Harris, the chef patron and Shepherd Neame tenant of Top 50 Gastropubs winner, the Sportsman, is lending his culinary expertise to upcoming London wine bar and restaurant, Noble Rot.

Food success comes from £5m spend on local produce, says Devon pub owner

13-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A Devon pub owner has claimed part of his business’s success is down to a multimillion pound spend on local produce.

Training

Fuller’s to match Living Wage as part of training pledge

09-Oct-2015 By MC Allegra FS

Fuller’s has announced it will offer a payrise for any team member on one of its development programmes, which will equal the first stage of the National Living Wage.

My PUB

My Pub: the Marksman, Hackney

06-Oct-2015 By Joe Lutrario

Chefs Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram reopened archetypal East Endboozer the Marksman to rave reviews earlier this year. Joe Lutrario catches up with the pair to talk beef and barley buns and keeping the locals sweet.

Pint Shop appoints Rosie Sykes as development chef

06-Oct-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

Meat, bread and beer specialist the Pint Shop has appointed chef and Guardian food writer Rosie Sykes as its new development chef, in a bid to take its food offer to “the next level”.

Apprenticeship levy could cost sector £100m

28-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Failure by the hospitality industry to have its say on proposals to introduce a levy on apprenticeships could lead to a “complex and unmanageable system”, according to charity People 1st.

Brunning and Price to create 90 chef roles

10-Sep-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

More than 90 chef roles could be created by the Brunning and Price (B&P) group, after it announced plans to open three new pubs this year and buy up to six more in 2016.

Chef Shortage

Emily Watkins: standard of training for chefs "no good"

10-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The standard of professional training for chefs has dropped, contributing to the industry-wide skills gap, according to Emily Watkins, chef patron of award-winning Oxfordshire pub the Kingham Plough.

Fuller's hosts Chef's Guild graduation for rising kitchen stars

09-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Fuller’s has marked the achievements of chefs across its 189-site managed estate with the first graduation ceremony for Chef’s Guild scholars.

Chef Shortage

BII chairman: "If you're working over 55 hours a week, you're not managing your staff correctly"

07-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) chairman Anthony Pender has spoken out on the need for a more positive outlook on the ongoing chef shortage.

Chef Shortage

Great British Menu star Dom Chapman: "I want a civilised bunch of chefs in the kitchen"

07-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Training from the grass roots up and nurturing talent is fundamental to combatting the chef shortage, according to BBC2 Great British Menu star Dominic Chapman, chef patron of the Beehive, White Waltham.

DIGITAL FEATURE

Hail to the chef

03-Sep-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Whether you’re an established restaurateur looking for the next step or a dedicated upstart wanting to make a name for yourself, taking on a pub is no minor feat. In this exclusive feature, Daniel Woolfson looks at the particular challenges faced by chef-patrons...

Chef recruitment crisis

“No half decent pub chef is paid enough” – ex-chefs on why they left the industry

28-Aug-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Sub-standard wages and long hours are driving chefs out of the sector, contributing to the industry-wide chef shortage, according to ex-pub chefs.

Freemasons at Wiswell tops Good Food Guide’s Top 50 Pubs 2016

26-Aug-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The Freemasons at Wiswell, Lancashire, has come top of the Good Food Guide's Top 50 Pubs for the second year in a row.

Chef recruitment crisis

“Fancy chefs don’t want to drop down to our level” - top London pub chef talks chef shortage

21-Aug-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The current shortage of skilled chefs and the problems caused by it are “never ending”, according to Jesse Dunford-Wood, chef patron of Parlour, in Kensal Green, London.

SMALL TALK

Daniel Clifford on new pub The Flitch of Bacon and Great British Menu

14-Aug-2015 By Emma Eversham

Daniel Clifford, chef-patron of the two Michelin-starred Midsummer House, speaks exclusively to Big Hospitality about returning to Great British Menu and opening his own pub, the Flitch of Bacon, in Essex.

Tom Kerridge to run "Tom's Table" pop-up at Harrods

10-Aug-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Tom Kerridge is set to run a week-long pop up residency, called Tom’s Table, at the food hall of Harrods on Brompton Road, London.

Why more chefs are heading to the pub

05-Aug-2015 By Joe Lutrario

A new wave of chefs are moving into the pub sector as restaurant sites – particularly those in central London – become both prohibitively expensive and difficult to get hold of, writes Joe Lutrario in the August issue of Restaurant magazine.

Join the pub brigade

Mass Mobilisation: meet the managed pub groups taking on the chef shortage

27-Jul-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Finding and retaining chefs for an independent or leased pub can be hard enough, but imagine trying to find and recruit enough chefs to maintain and drive kitchens at — in some cases — hundreds of sites. Daniel Woolfson reports.

Join the pub brigade

Chef recruitment may be a thorn in the sector's side, but the industry is striving for change

22-Jul-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The eating-out sector has fared enormously well since the end of the recession. In pubs, we’ve seen a food renaissance, with chefs across the industry pushing the boundaries of casual dining and a number of sites gaining coveted Michelin stars. 

JOIN THE PUB BRIGADE

Video: Emily Watkins of the Kingham Plough on hiring chefs

22-Jul-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Watkins, chef patron of the Kingham Plough, Oxfordshire, says the problem is industry-wide.

Join the Pub Brigade

Meet the chefs

22-Jul-2015 By Daniel Woolfson & Noli Dinkovski

Meet the pub chefs who are facing challenges regarding recruitment - and how they overcome them.

Join the Pub Brigade

The battle for the kitchen crew

22-Jul-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Filling their boots? Daniel Woolfson talks to some of the top figures in the pub industry to discover the lay of the land regarding chef recruitment.

Hampshire student named "MasterChef" at Sun Inn chef's competition

21-Jul-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Stephen Naylor, who recently finished a level 3 diploma in professional cookery, won the title at a cook-off held at Basingstoke College of Technology, organised by Gordon Stott, head chef and landlord of the Sun Inn, Basingstoke.

Speciality & Fine Food Fair: all you need to know about September's show

06-Jul-2015 By Noli Dinkovski

An exhibitor-list of more than 750 artisan food and drink producers have been named to appear at this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair.

Whitbread appoints new development chef for Beefeater

25-Jun-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Whitbread Restaurants has announced the appointment of Paul Fletcher to the role of brand research and development chef for its Beefeater chain.

Former British Larder site damaged in early morning blaze

23-Jun-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Suffolk pub the Unruly Pig, in Bromeswell, has been severely damaged in a fire.

Two pub chefs win at Craft Guild of Chefs Awards

16-Jun-2015 By Jo Bruce

Peach Pub Company head chef Ray Brenner, head chef at the Chequers at Eversley Cross, Hampshire, won the Pub Restaurant Chef Award.

Cobra beer launches new chef skills-sharing initiative with high profile support

16-Jun-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

With the ethnic restaurant sector facing a sharp decline in the number of more highly-skilled chefs coming from abroad, Cobra Beer has launched a campaign to give back to the community, inviting chefs up and down the country to take part in a comprehensive...

Four pub chefs competing in BBC's Great British Menu 2015

15-Jun-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Josh Eggleton, chef/patron of Michelin-starred gastropub the Pony & Trap, Chew Magna, near Bristol and Dominic Chapman, chef/patron of the Beehive, White Waltham, Berkshire, will compete on the show for the chance to cook at a banquet in honour of...

Young chef patron launches new "Masterchef-style" competition

11-Jun-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

One of the youngest pub landlords in the UK has launched a “Masterchef-style” competition to discover new culinary talent.

Expert insights

Chef focus: Wadworth's king of the kitchen

08-Jun-2015 By Jo Bruce

Scott Ferguson, head development chef at Wadworth, tells the PMA about what makes his kitchens tick

Young Punchbowl Inn chef in running for serious acclaim

01-Jun-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A young pub chef has qualified for the semi-finals of the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Young National Chef of the Year competition.

ETM Group's the Gun gets new head chef

29-May-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

ETM Group site the Gun, Docklands, has announced the appointment of a new head chef.

Pub chefs in Graduate Awards semi-final

25-May-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Two pub chefs have been shortlisted for the semi-final of the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Graduate Awards 2015.

Pub chefs in National Chef of Year semi-final

19-May-2015 By Jo Bruce

 Three pub chefs are among 40 chefs selected as semi-finalists in the National Chef of the Year 2015 competition, which has previously been won by Gordon Ramsay and Mark Sargeant.

Kit

Tools of the trade: weapons of choice

15-May-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Pub chefs tell Daniel Woolfson about their essential pieces of kitchen equipment.

Pub food

Star pubs goes big on food

13-May-2015 By Mike Berry

Star Pubs & Bars will invest £250,000 in the next six months as part of a new food development programme called Star Food.

Awards

19-year old pub chef wins award

11-May-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A young chef from the Punchbowl Inn, Cumbria, has been named North West Young Chef 2015.

Dining out... at the Top 50 Gastropubs dinner in Bristol

07-May-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Daniel Woolfson travels to Bristol to watch some of the top pub chefs in the country work their magic.

Trend watch

Is it time to 'hash in' on Rankin-style creations?

27-Apr-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The sheer range of hashes on offer in pub dining shows its worth a go.

Training

Nestle Professional Toque d'Or competition crowns winners

22-Apr-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Westminster Kingsway College’s team of hospitality students were announced as winners of the Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or competition last night, the college’s third win to date.

chefs

Pub chef in finals of North West Young Chef 2015

21-Apr-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

A pub chef has qualified for the finals of the North West Young Chef 2015 competition.

Openings

George Orwell 'prole's pub' to reopen...with Cornish touch

20-Apr-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

The Cornwall Project has re-opened Fitzrovia pub the Newman Arms, with the aim of turning it into a “classic West End boozer” with a menu showcasing high quality Cornish produce.

PUB chefs

Nominees for Craft Guild of Chefs Awards announced

16-Apr-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Four pub chefs have been shortlisted as nominees for the 2015 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards.

Kit

Tools of the trade: essential equipment

10-Apr-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Top chefs talk kit with Daniel Woolfson.

EXPERT INSIGHT

Development chef focus

02-Apr-2015 By Nick Hemming

Nick Hemming, St Austell Brewery’s catering development manager, talks sous vide, chef motivation and recommended apps.

Awards

Pub operators celebrate success in Development Chef Awards 2015

25-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Five pub companies have been recognised for the quality of their food offers in Restaurant's Farm Frites Development Chef Awards 2015.

Pub operators to compete in Royal Academy of Culinary Arts’ Annual Awards of Excellence.

16-Mar-2015 By Daniel Woolfson

Jack O’Sullivan, of the Angel Inn in Hetton and Amelia Thornhill, restaurant manager of the Plough Inn in Longparish, will be assessed on their kitchen ability with a multitude of other young chefs, pastry chefs and waiters across March and April.

Event news

"Culinary superstars" in action at the International Food & Drink Event

13-Mar-2015 By PubFood

Martin Bates, chief executive of the Craft Guild of Chefs, recommends visiting the Skillery at the International Food & Drink Event.